Convertible table top



J. c. ScHLAPP CONVERTIBLE TABLE TOP Filed April 28, 1925 '2 Sheets-Sheet1 Aug. 10 1926.

J. C. SCHLAPPE CONVERTIBLE TABLE To?" 2 Sheets-Shut 2 Filed April 28,1925 .5 v .w i Hwdm QM Patented Aug. 10, 1926.

warrencsraras ATENT OFFICE,

'irAMEs c. scHLArPE; or ILOSTANGELES, CALIFORNIA, r ssrenon To"nAw'rnomvn FURNITURE snore,

FORNIA.

or Los jANGELEs, CALIFORNIA, A COEPOR'ATIQN or CALI- eoNvEn-TiBL'E TABLETOP.

" I Application filed'April 28, 1925. SerialNo. 26,370.

- .This invention relates to furniture con larging the area of th'e'topand providing a struction, and it relates particularly to a- I tablehaving a folding top.

It isan object of this invention 'to pro vide a library table or thelike, which may be readily converted into a dining table or a tablehavinga-s omewhat largerarea than the usual library table.

Another object of my invention is to pro-.

vide a convertible table 'of this characterin which itsconvertiblenessis not. distinguishable; To accomplish thisobject of myinventionl provide a table having a top provided with an ornamentalmolding ex- '5 tending around the outer'edge. of the table and extendingfrom the lower face thereof. This constriiction'gives the top the appearance ofvalibrary table orother table which is used; principally for-Iornamentation.- H Leaves are securedto-thls'table 1n such a mannerthat their presence is. not observed when they are in folded: position;These leaves arehinged, however so that they .may be'swung outwardlyinto the same plane as theftop of the table, thereby en:

table which is suitable for dining use.

7 It is. also an object-otthis invention to ,provide a table ofthecharacter above-mentioned in which portions of the'leaves .of the tableserve as partsofthe molding when they are in folded position- \Vhere theleaves hinge to the top ofthe table I di-zvide the molding into twoparts, one part I secure tothe top and the otherpart Ise-gcure to one ofthe leaves. {These .two parts,- are hinged together so that when'a leafs is in folded position, the parts of the-molding aredisposed so as toform a complete molding entirely around the table. p Other OlZflGCtS andthe particular advan tages of this invention will be emphasized} theleaf comprises ner in which the leaves are retained in unfolded orextended position.

Fig. tis an enlarged fragmentary detail taken substantially as indicatedby the arrow 4 of- Fig. 2; this view showing the leaf .in extendedposition and clearly showing the construction of the molding and theunique'manner in which it is divided so that it hides the leaf and stillallows it to be swung into an extendedposition.

F ig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective View similar to Fig. t,this view showing a leaf in folded position and clearly showing themanner in which a portion'of the ornamental molding of the table. Q

In the drawings I show a top 11 which is supported by columns 12 havingbase formations li-l at; the lower end thereof. The table-top lluispreferably"rectangular .in

shapeuand; has the-corners cut oif -so as to provide: beveled portions14.: For the purpose of ornamentation and to give the table an estheti-cappearance, I provide an ornamental molding 16. a

As clearly shown in Figs. 3, land 5, the molding'16 comprises a crowncourse 17,

1a; dentilpcourse -l8.having squared formations 19 and afoot course 20;These courses of the molding'are successively receded with respecttoeach other so as to have a stepped appearance.v The crown course 1 7 andthe dentilhcouise 'l8'extend entirely around the top 11.,' Sections'23of the dentil course 18 are made separatev from the rest .of the course.18 along the sidesof the tableyand these sections 23am secured to thecrown course 17 by invisible hinges24 which may be of any standardconstruction." Secured to "the-lower faces ,of the sections 23 areleaves .26. Then the'leaves are'in retracted or folded-position, theycooperate with the portions of the molding 16 forming a part thereof andcompleting the molding entirely around the top 11. As clearly shown inFig. 2, the ends 27 of the leaves 26 are extended obliquely with respectto the sides of the table. .The edges 29 ofthe leaves 26 when they arein folded position form a continuation ofthe foot course 20, thuscompleting the foot course. Ends 30 of the foot course 20 are beveledand are con tracted by ends 31 of the oblique ends 2? of the leaves 26when these leaves 26 in folded position.

When the leaves 26 are in extended position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3and 4, the edges 29 of the leaves 26 engage sides 33 of the top 11, thefaces 34 of the leaves 26 at this time being in the plane ofthe upper'face of the top 11. The sections 23 of the dentil course 19 at thistime rest in the same plane as the crown course 17. As clearly shown inFigs. 2 and 4, the direction of extension of the oblique ends 27 is suchthat they align and extend parallel with the beveled corners 14 of thetop 11. To provide this accurate alignment and an accurate fitting ofthe corners 31 with the beveled corners 14, it is necessary to have theleaf extend exactly to the corners 3.6 at which the sides join with thebeveled portions 14. It is not necessary to have the dentil course andthe sections 23 separate at this point, and for convenience ofmanufacture we have extended the course 18 a very short distance alongthe sides of the top.

Arms 42 of leaf supports 43 extend into a slide 44 secured to the lowerface of the top 11 near a central part thereof. Heads 45 are formed atthe outer ends of the arms 42. These supporting members 43 may beextended, as shown in Fig. 3, so asto support the leaves 26 in extendedposition. When the supporting members 43 are in retracted position, theheads 45 thereof form parts of the crown and dentil courses 17 and 18 ofthe molding 16.

Keepers are secured to lower faces of the leaves 26, these keepers beingengaged by pawls 51 which are secured at 52 to the lower face of thetable top 11. A releasing plate 54 is hinged at 55 to the table top 11.The releasing plate 54 is adapted to engage arms 56 of the pawls 51 forswinging them out of engagement with the keepers 50, thus unlatching theleaves 26 and allowing them to be swung into extended position. When thereleasing plate 54 is operated, both of the pawls are released fromengagement with the keepers 50. The leaves, however, may beindependently locked in folded or retracted position as the pawls mayswing independently of each other.

From the foregoing description and drawing, it will be seen that whenthe leaves 26 of the table of my invention are in folded position, thetable has the appearance of the usual library table, or the like, andthe presence of the leaves or the convertibleness of the table is notevident. This feature is accomplished principallyby my novel design ofmolding which uses a portion of the leaves 26 as a part thereof. This isa very important consideration of my invention as tables'oftlnscharacter are much 1n demand at the present. There is much use for atable of this character in small apartments extended position, saidleaves when in retracted positions forming a part of said molding. V

2. In a convertible table, the combination of: a table top; means forsupporting said top; a molding extending around said top, said moldingbeing separated at one portion and forming upper and lower parts; hingeswhereby said upper and lower parts are hingedly attached together; and aleaf secured to said lower part o'fsaid molding and forming a partthereof.

3. In a convertible table, the combination of: a table top; means forsupporting said top; a molding for said top comprising acrown course anda dentil course extending entirely around'said top, a part of saiddentil course being separate and hinged to said crown course, and a footcourse extending part way around said top; and a leaf secured to saidseparate part of said dentil course, an edge of said leaf completingsaid foot course when said leaf is in retracted position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles,California, this 23rd day of April, 1925.

JAMES c. scHLAPPE.

